Remnant pancreas reconstruction with duct-to-duct anastomosis after middle pancreatectomy: a report of two cases.

Reconstruction of a remnant pancreas after middle pancreatectomy has generally been performed with a pancreaticoenterostomy. We report here two cases in which physiological reconstructive procedures were performed. The reconstructive procedures included pancreatic duct-to-duct anastomosis and parenchymal sutures with absorbable monofilament interrupted stitches. A pancreatic tube was inserted for decompression at the anastomotic site in both cases. The patients comprised one with pancreatic metastasis from renal cell carcinoma and another with a non-malignant insulinoma. The tumors were located in the pancreatic body. Although an International Study Group on Pancreatic Fistula classification grade B-pancreatic fistula was observed in each patient, they both resolved with conservative therapy. The pancreatic duct at the anastomosis site was patent in both cases, and no atrophic changes developed in the remnant pancreas in either patient. These outcomes confirmed that, in selected cases, this reconstructive procedure is safe and feasible for physiological reconstruction without involvement of the digestive tract.